In Praise of the Heroic Marine Who Gave Us Taco Bell

I've always been drawn to stories about service members finding success after their time in the military is over. There's no shortage of inspiring stories to highlight.

Entrepreneurs, politicians, athletes, educators, and entertainers are all covered in the arena of successful veterans. But there are some whose stamp on our culture is almost unequaled.

Glen Bell is one of those veterans. After his time in the Marine Corps during World War II — he served as a steward in the general's mess through during the Guadalcanal campaign — he opened a string of successful burger and taco stands. After selling his shares, he foundedTaco Bell in 1962, franchised it by 1964, and had 868 locations by the time he sold it to PepsiCo in 1978.

"You would think that serving food to generals in Guadalcanal wouldn't have much relevance later on," Bell said of his time in the Marines in his 1999 biography, Taco Titan: The Glen Bell Story. "But it taught me how to estimate how much food was needed based on the number of people served. That knowledge gave me confidence to start a restaurant."

He's the hero America needed, and his legacy should always be remembered as you're drunk and struggling to stay conscious at 3 a.m. as you shove a hastily assembled gordita down your gullet.

After more than a decade of research and development and upwards of $500 million in funding, the Navy finally plans on testing its much-hyped electromagnetic railgun on a surface warship in a major milestone for the beleaguered weapons system, Navy documents reveal.

Just in time for many high school graduations, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a measure ensuring that seniors in the military may wear their dress uniforms instead of a cap and gown at their ceremonies.

DeSantis, a former Navy officer, approved SB 292 to become law upon his signature, which came Thursday.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Congress fell short ahead of Memorial Day weekend, failing to pass legislation that would provide tax relief for the families of military personnel killed during their service.

Senators unanimously approved a version of the bipartisan Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act Tuesday sending it back to the House of Representatives, where it was tied to a retirement savings bill as an amendment, and passed Thursday.

When it got back to the Senate, the larger piece of legislation failed to pass and make its way to the President Trump's desk.

Two airmen were administratively punished for drinking at the missile launch control center for 150 nuclear LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, the Air Force confirmed to Task & Purpose on Friday.

Two F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters recently flew a mission in the Middle East in "beast mode," meaning they were loaded up with as much firepower as they could carry.

The F-35s with the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron took off from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates to execute a mission in support of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Air Forces Central Command revealed. The fifth-generation fighters sacrificed their high-end stealth to fly with a full loadout of weaponry on their wings.